The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has identified 12 areas of concern and classified them as “red” in preparation for the 2025 Bangsamoro elections, poll chair George Garcia said Thursday.
Garcia said six areas in Basilan and six in Maguindanao were placed under the red category due to their history of conflict and violence. “Usually, the basis is the history of the area—whether there was unrest in previous elections, the presence of private armed groups, or a recent event that caused unrest,” he explained.
Despite this, Garcia noted that the Bangsamoro region has remained largely peaceful throughout the 45-day campaign period leading up to the October 13 polls. “No election-related violence. We have yet to record any ERV in the region. In fact, the issue is still about the 73 parliamentary seats for the polls,” he said.
Under Comelec Resolution No. 11067, the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines classify areas under four categories: green, yellow, orange, and red. green areas have no security concerns, yellow areas have recorded election-related incidents in past polls, orange areas combine factors under yellow with serious armed threats, while red areas have the highest security risk.
